Andrew Boyd/The Times-PicayuneTroy HenryHenry said the accusations have no merit and says he thinks the plaintiffs are trying to use his candidacy as a bargaining chip to secure better settlements. He also suspects that his disgruntled ex-partners may be in cahoots with one or more of his opponents in the Feb. 6 primary, though he could not provide clear evidence to support his contention.

Meanwhile, both plaintiffs deny that their interests are political, saying they just want Henry and his management firm, Henry Consulting LLC, known as HC, to give them what they're due. In the more recent case, Darren Diamond sued Henry and his firm this month in federal court, claiming Diamond is owed more than $1 million after walking away from the firm, in which he was a partner, in April.

The other suit was filed in state Civil District Court in April by a corporation owned by Winston Burns, who runs an airport concession under a contract awarded during Mayor Marc Morial's administration. Burns partnered with HC in another company, Infinity Fuels, which owns and manages local Shell gas stations. Burns claims HC has improperly run Infinity Fuels and he wants to be named managing partner.

Henry's attorney, Harry Rosenberg, pointed to issues of timing in both suits as evidence that the suits may be linked to the mayoral race. Diamond filed his claim three weeks before the primary, while Burns, after negotiating out of court for months, let loose a flurry of motions the day after Henry qualified to run, he said.

"What it seems to me "¦ is you have two individuals, both of whom have a dollar sign in front of them, who are looking to take advantage of Mr. Henry's situation now as a candidate for mayor believing that either they can use that for some kind of leverage for their own pecuniary gain or that if there is a political agenda, that it either distracts him or affects his efforts to present the really core issues to the people in this mayor's race, " Rosenberg said.

Diamond has acknowledged of his suit that "some would read into it a political agenda, but this is strictly a business matter, and it is my intention to handle it as such, I won't respond to any specific charges. I'm going to allow the court or any direct settlement talks handle that."

Sharonda Williams, Burns' attorney, said Burns began seeking redress long before Henry launched his mayoral bid. "As far we're concerned, that's pure coincidence, " she said. "It has nothing to do with any political underpinnings or anything of that nature. From our perspective, this was a matter that was filed before Mr. Henry qualified to run for mayor."